Various means have heretofore been employed to provide mitered molding strips of predetermined lengths to produce picture frames, such as by mitering the opposing ends thereof in conventional miter box cutting devices, or in the miter fixture devices of U.S. patents to Novak U.S. Pat. No. 3,842,700 and Hahn U.S. Pat. No. 4,056,030, and the combined measuring and sawing device of Huntly U.S. Pat No. 3,941,020. However, none of these prior art devices have been satisfactory for handling and precisely measuring high double rabbited molding strips so as to enable such strips being severed and mitered at both ends to the precise measurements required in the production of customized frames.
In addition, it has been proposed to produce mitered molding picture frames in a miter chopping apparatus including an upright frame with a vertically reciprocable V-shaped cutting or sawing head thereon and having a horizonatally disposed supporting arm upon which a molding strip is flatly supported. By positioning a molding strip with its leading end previously mitered thereon and moving the cutting head downwardly relative to the strip the latter is severed at generally the length required for frame assembly. However, in this conventional and prior art type of mitering equipment, with which the present measuring guide attachment is intended for use, it has not been possible to effectively, and precisely measure high double rabbited molding strips so as to sever and miter the same at the exact length measurements required, which will not require any further finishing for correct fitting.
The principal object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable measuring guide attachment for the molding strip retaining bar on the supporting arm of a miter chopping apparatus and wherein a molding strip is placed with its leading end mitered and adjustably moved relative to the chopping or cutting head at the precise position an end thereof is to be mitered.
Another object is the provision of an adjustable measuring guide attachment including an angularly slidable rabbit locator for correctly aligning, positioning, and locating the upper rabbited edge of a strip of high double rabbited molding at the exact measurement at which the other end of the strip is to be mitered to effect a finished strip for frame assembly.
Still another object is to provide a measuring guide attachment having an angularly extending transparent measuring locator member thereon alignable with a graduated scale on the chopper supporting arm for precisely indicating the exact predetermined cutting measurement at which the end of the molding strip is to be severed for assembly into a frame of predetermined size.
A further object is the provision of a measuring strip having varying colored graduations thereon and adhered to and above the graduated scale on the supporting arm so as to highlight and distinguish the scale inch increment thereon when the transparent measuring locator member is alignable therewith.
Still another object is to provide a measuring guide attachment wherein the base thereof is attached to the molding strip retaining bar on the miter chopper supporting arm and projects laterally therefrom at a forty-five degree angle to form an abutment for a mitered end of the molding strip and slidably support an extension thereon in turn slidably adjustably supporting the transparent locator member and a flat longitudinally and vertically adjustable rabbit locator thereon which interfits under the rabbited edge of the strip and securely positions and aligns the same for lingitudinal movement on the supporting arm relative to the chopping head.